Hard Love CD

NEEDTOBREATHE's last outing, Rivers In The Wasteland, was a career-defining album born out of the trials of brotherly competition and the fatigue of life on the road (which almost did the entire band in). Having weathered the storm and written about it so masterfully (the tunes "Brother" and "Wasteland" address the situation with candor), the follow up record Hard Love feels like a continuation of this theme, albeit with a bit more time and distance giving the band some perspective and breathing room. The driving title track, "Hard Love," rightly states that all relationships require a "hard love" if they are to last. Motown blasts of soulful horns and handclaps pepper "Happiness," "When I Sing" and "Money & Fame," giving the album a funky feel that is decidedly lighter than the last time out. "Be Here Long" echoes "Keep Your Eyes Open" musically, and "Testify" is a wonderful worship tune in the vein of "Down To The River" and "Multiplied." Closer "Clear" is a beautiful and epic ode to romantic love, finishing the album up with a lovely six-minute coda that shows a veteran band at the top of their game. Hard Love is an album worth waiting for, the kind that should be listened to in an entire sitting. And then again and again...

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